Yuan, Pinghe IB graduate ‘06, was invited to attend U.S. President Inauguration in Washington, D.C.
From children to the elderly, everyone was able to witness one of the U.S.’s most significant events in history on Jan. 20 — the presidential transition to the first-ever African-American leader. And UVic Commerce student Lulu Yuan was among the 5,000 students attending the University Presidential Inaugural Conference (UPIC).
Yuan, who completed her degree this past December, was invited and nominated to attend UPIC because of her alumni status with the Congressional Youth Leadership Council (CYCL), in which she attended their Global Young Leaders Conference in 2005.
The conference was a chance for university students to witness democracy in action. UPIC occurs once every four years when a new president is elected. This year, students from across the world flew into Washington D.C. to embrace one of the most memorable events in American history.
“Everything was building up to that day,” said Yuan. “Being there made me feel like everyone can make a difference no matter what background you are, or no matter how young you are.”
UPIC participants went to seminars, heard two keynote speakers at the conference (General Colin Powell and Al Gore) and attended an inauguration ball.
Students selected to attend UPIC are nominated from the alumni in the National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF), the Congressional Youth Leadership Council (CYLC), the International Scholar Laureate Program (ISLP) and from members of honour societies in post-secondary schools. According to Yuan, some students that took part in UPIC were also members of the Golden Key Society.
Due to unorganized events that UPIC had promised, and problems with transportation and accommodation, some students were unsatisfied with their experience. Yuan says she personally would have enjoyed the experience more if she hadn’t had a cold.
On Jan. 28, an immediate release comment from Barbara Harris, co-founder of CYLC, stated: “while the vast majority of students who participated in the program had a positive experience, we now know that some said they did not.”
Due to massive crowds of standing people, heightened security measures and inevitable circumstances, UPIC students, like most individuals, viewed President Obama’s speech on a screen. Despite the problems that occurred, Yuan still describes this as an inspiring atmosphere.
“When he was starting to say his speech everyone was quiet,” said Yuan. “Everyone [was] so eager to hear him speak.”
The inauguration presents a symbolic moment in the U.S. for an African-American to be sworn into office. According to UVic Political Science professor Janni Aragon, African-American children were able to watch the inauguration of a black man, and the symbolic representation of this is significant.
“African-Americans from all over the country are coming to see this very historic moment, and you see their pride,” said Yuan. “It’s their moment.”
Yuan thinks that youth can get more involved in politics, starting with UVSS elections, as well as by joining groups and organizations.
“You don’t have to come from a [political] background to be involved in politics,” she said.
Yuan was successful at raising her funds for the ceremony, and credits a number of UVic and Camosun College services, Royal Bank of Canada, Minerva Women’s Foundation of B.C., Shanghai Pinghe School and KPMG Victoria for helping her reach her monetary goal. The conference fee was almost $3,000, not including airfare.
Fundraising for the trip was also a great experience for Yuan, but contacting organizations was difficult.
“Some organizations can’t make contributions due to certain criteria,” said Yuan. “[There was] lots of researching to see what fits.”
Yuan begins her career as a chartered accountant this week, and she plans to get involved with more organizations. The inauguration of President Obama marks a new milestone not only for the U.S., but also for the younger generation. Students, like Yuan, who witnessed the inaugural ceremony first-hand can take this memorable event and shape it into their own lives to make a difference in our future.
“It’s funny how life turns out. I wanted to work in the UN and international affairs,” said Yuan. “Now I finally want to be a chartered accountant.”
